


Stolen Snapshots

by Lokislittlearmy



Category: The Adventure Zone (Podcast)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Developing Relationship, Multi, My multishipping ridiculousness just finished balance what's up, Polyamory, Spoilers for Episode: e060-066 The Stolen Century Parts 1-7, Spoilers for Episode: e067-069 Story and Song Parts 1-3, Temporary Amnesia
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-18
Updated: 2018-04-18
Packaged: 2019-04-24 11:45:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,178
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14354790
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lokislittlearmy/pseuds/Lokislittlearmy
Summary: Things work themselves out. And if we only see a sliver of that--if we only see little snapshots, that's okay. There are moments they'll all remember for the rest of their existences.





	Stolen Snapshots

Taako and Magnus are at the press conference, listening to Davenport explain the logistics of the Starblaster. The lights are blinding them to the vast audience. As questions open and come flying at them, they wait quietly. Taako makes a remark to Lup, catching Magnus’ attention. Their eyes meet for a second. Taako gives him a slight smile, Magnus returns it, and the moment is over. 

It’s enough to distract Magnus, though. Davenport’s looking at him, the rest of the panel is looking at him, and he just heard his name. He clears his throat. “Sorry, what was the question?”

A journalist is staring at him from the crowd. “Are there any weapons on board?”

Magnus chuckles, but it comes out way too forced. Of course they don’t have weapons on an exploratory mission. “Uh, yeah, I’m the only weapon we need.” It seems to go over decently with the crowd.

A minute or so later, Lup stands and goes to the mic. She sounds so carefree, talking about this mission in front of a crowd with high expectations. She gives the journalist a blinding smile. She sits back down next to Magnus, and he offers a high five. Just as she takes it, she has a moment of realization and darts back to the mic. 

Taako starts laughing when Lup goes on her rant about fifteen dollars. Magnus can’t help but join, and soon the entire IPRE has at least cracked a smile. Davenport’s smile drops and he warns Lup not to drop the mic. She does anyway. Taako lets out a whoop of agreement.

The crowd starts chanting. The conference ends, and the rest of the day passes in a blur. Magnus finds himself at a seedy bar with the rest of the crew, knocking back a few too many shots. A fight breaks out. As Merle drags Lucretia behind the bar, Magnus is already stepping in.

\---

He wakes up the next morning with a black eye. He rushes to put just his crimson red jacket on and adjust himself, and dabs some concealer onto his eye. It doesn’t do much to hide it. He grabs his backpack, and he’s gone.

There’s a storm overhead that isn’t moving. Davenport explains that it won’t delay their departure. They leave with bright smiles and waves to the crowd below. 

The apocalypse passes with less fanfare than they expected.

\---

Magnus says he’ll protect the ship. The others set out to explore. Taako and Lup are the last to leave. “We’ll stay close if you need us,” Lup reassures him. “But the idea of animal civilizations is wild.” She grins and waits for Magnus to get the pun. From behind her, Taako lets out a long groan.

“We think we found this family of mongeese a mile away,” Taako elaborates. “If the animals here do have a civilization, they might be helpful.” He does a fake salute. “We’ll let you know if we find anything.”

The two of them head out without another word. Magnus starts checking the ship for damage. He sees Lucretia in passing. He finds his hard candy in the depths of his backpack. He sits beside the door and lets his head rest back against the shining hull. And without warning, he can’t breathe.

He immediately panics. He pushes himself to his feet and tries to force the candy out of his lungs, but it’s stuck. Thirty seconds feels like forever, and two thin arms wrap around him without warning.

The candy launches onto the forest floor. Magnus breathes in a gulp of air and tears come to his eyes. The arms unwind from his torso. Taako pats him on the back. “Holy shit, are you okay?” Lup is just now catching up behind Taako, a little winded.

Magnus coughs for ten seconds, but he holds out a thumbs up. “Thanks, man.”

“No problem. Maybe don’t choke unless there’s someone around, huh?” Taako has a clear joking tone and throws in a wink. 

“Yeah,” Magnus agrees, and he hopes the flushed cheeks are excusable.

\---

Magnus watches the Starblaster fly away. He’s in the middle of getting a family of bears to cover, and he freezes for just a second. He keeps trying, though. 

And then he’s overtaken, and he feels himself die.

When he reappears on the deck of the Starblaster, he hears a couple people sigh in relief. He tries to ignore the quiet “oh thank god” from Taako. He fails.

\---

The hard candy is one of the only things that doesn’t stitch itself back into existence, and Magnus is a little upset about that. It’s a few cycles before they find a planet with a candy shop, and Magnus dedicates a day to going there.

“You’re not staying behind?” Taako says with surprise. He’s sitting by the door, presumably waiting for Lup. “You look like you’re actually headed out.”

“Can’t stay at home forever, can I?” Magnus jokes. He adjusts the pack on his shoulder.

Taako laughs. “I guess not. Where are you headed? Like, long-term or short-term?”

“There’s a candy shop not too far, so I figured I’d seek it out.” He pauses, an invitation on the tip of his tongue. He could definitely bring Taako along, but the real question is if he should. It’s been a few years and the boundaries between the crew members have been breaking, but it’s slow. Still slow. But the words leave his mouth before he can stop them. “Do you want to come along?”

Taako looks around. For a second, Magnus wonders if Taako is looking for an escape. Instead, Taako nods. “Yeah. Sounds fun. Let me let Lup know, and I’ll be ready.” He leaves the room for a few seconds. When he comes back, Lup is right behind him. Taako passes Magnus to pick up his own pack. Behind Taako’s back, Lup and Magnus meet each other’s eyes.

There’s a knowing glint in Lup’s eyes. Magnus, for some reason, hopes that knowledge behind her eyes is where her leftovers went. She’d probably go easier on him for stealing her leftovers than whatever it was swirling in the pit of Magnus’ stomach.

\---

The seven of them start celebrating Candlenights again. Or, five of them wake up one morning and head to the deck to see it decorated. Taako and Lup are still putting tinsel on the pine tree, and they jump up. “We’re pretty sure today is the start of Candlenights,” Taako explains. He doesn’t say that he misses home or the atmosphere. He doesn’t need to.

Barry smiles. “You guys know we didn’t get anything, right?” 

Lup nods. “And we planned for that. We also got gifts for you to give to us.”

There’s a second of silence before the seven of them rush into a hug. Magnus picks Merle up so that he can throw his arms around a pair of shoulders. They settle around the tree and shift around as needed. After a few minutes, Taako plops down in front of Magnus with two boxes, one much larger than the other . He hands them both to Magnus. 

Magnus looks at both of the tags and hands the larger one back to Taako with an amused smile, noting how much lighter it is. “Oh, thank you! You didn’t have to, really!” Taako exclaims. He lowers his voice and leans in. “Lup actually wrapped this one, so I have no idea what it is.” He straightens up again and pops the top off. His smile widens as he looks down into the box. He pulls out a shiny new pointed hat and interchanges his own hat with it. It’s black, but purple lies beneath the threading and covers the accents. Taako looks at Magnus expectantly.

He startles a little bit and looks down at the box. It says it’s from Taako specifically. He slips the top off. Inside is a box of various sweets, including candies that look similar to the ones he got at the candy shop. “That candy fucking sucked,” Taako explains. “So your gift is candy from an actual chef who knows what he’s doing.”

Magnus grins. “Thanks, Taako. You really didn’t have to.”

Taako gives him a shrug, but he’s smiling too. “Happy Candlenights.”

“Happy Candlenights.”

\---

Magnus spends a year without seeing Merle or Taako on a world of mushrooms. He wonders how Lup is dealing with that, because he hardly can. But she seems to be thriving. She nearly triangulates the location of the light alongside Barry. On a stormy night, Magnus watches the clouds stir. He looks back onto the deck, where Lup and Barry are dancing in the rain. He used to do that as a kid.

They look into each others’ eyes, and they’re singing a song he can’t hear over the rain. Their jackets are soaked through. Barry spins and dips Lup in his arms. When Lup looks back and meets Magnus’ eyes, she’s grinning. Magnus realizes he has that same knowing glint Lup has given him before.

A couple hours later, Magnus is doing dishes. Lup’s hair is still wet as she takes a towel and starts drying the plates without a word. They don’t speak for a while. She’s the one to break the silence. “We’re a little bit fucked, aren’t we?”

“Just a little bit,” Magnus says.

\---

Taako and Lup get into the first fight any of them have ever seen. It’s over the world of robots, and Magnus steps in without thinking about it.

It de-escalates. Each of them breathe a sigh of relief. When the robots power down, it takes a second. But Magnus finds a Sharpie in his pocket. As he starts drawing little smiley faces on the sleek metal, he hears footsteps. And then Taako is over him. “Make that one look surprised,” he suggests quietly.

They save some of them. It’s not a complete success, but it’s not the worst possible outcome. Lup is sitting in her chair staring down at the shrunken crystal. She tries to make light of the situation and ends up in tears. And for once, Taako isn’t the first one at her side. Barry pulls her against her chest, because she’s not really sobbing over those fifteen dollars. She holds the crystal tight against her.

Taako turns to face everybody else. “We’re going to save everyone that we can. No more of what happened back there.” His eyes flicker to each of them, but they settle on Magnus. “Deal?”

“Deal.”

\---

Magnus doesn’t want to be the first to throw Merle’s gift away. But he sees Taako pull out his wand, mumble, and put the wand away. Taako’s terrible shoes start floating away and Taako draws Merle’s attention back to them. “Oh, my shoes!” he says, “My wonderful shoes! They’re floating away! Oh no, whatever shall I do.”

As soon as Merle’s back is turned, Magnus covers the plop of his wood plank with a loud cough. Merle goes to give the others gifts, and Taako offers his hand for a fist bump. Magnus accepts.

\---

Magnus is gathering firewood when Taako comes up from behind him. “Magnus?” he says in a quiet voice. Magnus turns, and Taako is in the beach attire he’s taken up over the past few weeks. He has a sheepish smile. “Could I maybe ask a favor from our favorite carpenter?”

Magnus sticks the axe in the stump he’d been chopping on. “Sure, what’s up?”

“I want to learn how to surf. I remember seeing people at home doing it every time we went to the beach, and I figure, why not?” Taako shrugs. He looks vaguely nostalgic.

“Yeah,” Magnus says, “I can do that.” Taako sits a few feet away and watches Magnus hack away at an untouched log until it’s about the shape of a surfboard. “I can’t get much better than this, since I don’t have tools or anything.”

Taako shakes his head and takes the board. “It’s perfect.” He channels a spell through his arms and into the wooden board. A glassy coating goes over it, and Magnus does notice it’s a little more symmetrical. He doesn’t point it out. Neither does Taako. Instead, Taako throws his arms around Magnus for just a second and runs off before Magnus can even reciprocate.

He forgets they’re the same height sometimes. 

\---

Taako starts thinking about the idea of love. It’s been twenty-one years with just the seven of them. He just told Barry that he had all the time in the world, and here he is fretting. He doesn’t imagine being in love. He doesn’t want to fall in love with someone on the crew. They’ve only got each other for...well, forever. Forever, as far as he can tell. 

Only twenty-one years, he said. Only. 

He doesn’t want to start thinking about it, but he does. He starts thinking about the swirling feelings in his chest that he’s been denying. He lets himself relish in the idea of love, in the idea of being loved and being in love.

After a little while, he pushes the idea away. Forever is a long time.

\---

Magnus catches it too. He manages to see Barry’s blush when Lup hands him his glasses. 

Taako is upside down in his driftwood chair when Magnus takes his seat next to him. “We should let them figure it out on their own, right?” Taako asks.

“I think so. It shouldn’t take too long, I guess.” Magnus holds his hands up to the fire.

A silence passes between them as the others joke and laugh about what has come and what is to come. Taako pushes himself upright. His hair falls around his shoulders, and he separates a strand to fidget with. “What if they don’t? What if it takes forever?”

Magnus doesn’t look over at Taako. He’s strangely afraid to meet his eyes, just in case his voice betrays him. “Do you really want to try and set up your sister?” He catches the shrug Taako gives out of the corner of his eye, and still doesn’t look to him. “They’ll figure it out. It’ll just take time.”

\---

Merle learns Parley and talks to the Hunger, and they have to wait for him to come back. And then as soon as the next cycle starts, Merle does it again.

Taako looks at Magnus as Merle disappears. “I think we need to have a chat with Merle.” He looks to where Merle cast the spell. “I don’t want him to just be gone like this. We need everyone.”

Magnus nods in agreement. Lup and Barry are already gone. Magnus looks to Taako, who’s fidgeting and clearly trying to figure out what to do. They decide to spend the year together. Magnus teaches Taako how to throw a punch, and he gets a black eye that’s different from the one he comes back with every time.

Taako is appalled with himself, but Magnus is grinning ear to ear. 

\---

Nobody’s sure if the light from the cave is really the Light. But Magnus takes forever carving a little duck. And it’s not perfect, but it’s his, personally. Taako has this book of quotes and Magnus can’t help but feel that it truly is perfect.

He feels that way about a lot of things Taako does.

The duck immediately flashes back into his mind, and tears spring to Magnus’ eyes. He feels somebody’s hand on his back. It pauses as Barry and Lup go up for their duet, and he realizes it’s Taako’s hand.

Barry and Lup don’t let go of each other’s hands, even after the light flashes and the audience roars. Lup is saying something to Barry, and Barry is responding, and then they’re off the stage before any of them can protest. “I guess they figured it out,” Taako mumbles. 

\---

Lucretia follows Magnus to the cave, and Fisher hides. He peeks out as Magnus explains that she’s friendly and collects just like Fisher does. In a matter of seconds, Fisher is out. He brushes against Lucretia’s arm, and her eyes light up in curiosity as she laughs. 

Fisher starts leading them into the cave. He leads them to the pool with all of his family. Lucretia stares down into it, slack-jawed. One of the voidfish rears out of the water. Lucretia gets completely soaked. “Oh, oh my god. Oh, it got in my mouth. This is terrible.” She looks to him in disgust.

“Come on, Lucretia, day one stuff.” He’s a little sprayed, but it’s nothing compared to Lucretia. He leads her away from the pond. 

She starts spending time with him in this little cavern. Her journals become filled with drawings of Fisher alongside all of her writings. Magnus is trying to teach Fisher patty-cake when she looks up from her book and sets her pen down.

“Magnus, can I ask you a personal question?”

He stops playing patty-cake with Fisher, who nudges at him in disappointment. Magnus gives Fisher attention, but he’s focused on Lucretia. “Sure, what’s up?”

“Do you love Taako?”

Magnus freezes, his hand on Fisher’s bell. He cracks a forced smile and looks back to Fisher. “Of course. I love everyone on the crew.”

Lucretia sighs and closes her book, like she’s trying to assure this is just between them. “You know what I meant,” she insists. “I won’t tell anyone if you do. I’ve just seen how you look at him, and I wonder if-”

“I know,” Magnus says, and feels bad for just a minute that he cut her off. “Love is a really strong word, Lucretia. And I admire Barry and Lup for all of that and actually having a relationship.” He watches Fisher float away to go get something. “But the seven of us are all we have for maybe forever. I can’t risk losing him like that.”

\---

When they reappear on the ship after cycle sixty-five, Lucretia starts sobbing in relief. As she babbles about how she made it, and how she can’t believe she did, they realize that they almost lost everything.

Barry and Lup share a wordless glance that seems to share a novel. Merle sits next to Lucretia and pulls her tight. Davenport goes to steer the ship to wherever they’re going next. Taako leaves the room. Magnus fights himself not to follow him and instead sprints to Lucretia’s cabin to check on Fisher.

He needs to keep everyone in his life safe. Everyone.

\---

It’s cycle eighty-three, and Magnus is reading a book to Fisher. It’s a book from the last planet, one of many he decided to bring to read. Fisher is sitting on the floor and still almost the height of Magnus, who’s sitting on his bed. He makes grand gestures as he tells the story of some far off land.   
He forgets his door is open. Taako leans against the doorframe, watching Magnus from behind as he weaves his tale. He drinks in every word. Finally, Magnus closes the book. “The end,” he says. Fisher reaches out and takes the book and takes it in and...it’s gone.

Taako gasps. Magnus jumps about a foot in the air. “Sorry, sorry,” Taako says. “I was just curious. You sounded so enthusiastic.” He steps into Magnus’ room. “And now I can’t remember, like, anything that was in that book. How did Fisher do that?”

Magnus shrugs. “I honestly don’t know. But look at him. He’s glowing.” Sure enough, Fisher’s looking brighter than ever. Magnus seems like he is, too.

Taako takes a second and looks between Magnus and Fisher. “Feed him the entire works of Nathaniel Hawthorne. I’m begging you.” He watches Magnus break into peals of laughter. “No, really. Fuck that guy.” He’s cracking a grin, though.

The laughter dies down. Taako sighs. “I never thought you’d be such a dad,” he remarks. It earns him an amused expression, Magnus silently asking for clarification. “Like, you basically just read Fisher a bedtime story. Tell me that’s not adorable and something a dad would do. And you keep yourself way safer, making sure you’re there to protect him.”

Magnus’ smile drops and he zones out in realization. “Oh my god. I’m a dad now.”

Taako pats him on the shoulder. “Yeah. Good luck with that.” He leaves.

Past the realization that he’s a father figure to a giant magical jellyfish, Magnus realizes a few hours later that Taako called him adorable. That doesn’t leave his mind.

He decides that Fisher could have two dads.

\---

It’s cycle eighty-four, and Magnus finally decides it’s time. He takes a makeshift sack filled with little strips of paper, and he runs to the edge of the Starblaster. Taako is below with Lup, playing in some sort of magical duel. Perfect. “Taako!” he yells down. The elf looks up. “I need you to explode this with anything but fire,” he yells.

Taako gives a thumbs up. Magnus takes a breath, and throws it. Taako’s wand is in the air, and a shot fires from it, and hundreds of paper pieces of confetti are twirling down. Lup takes one in her hand first and looks back up at Magnus with a grin. Confused, Taako does the same. He reads it over once, then twice, and then catches a couple more pieces to make sure he’s not misreading. Every slip of paper just says two words: Date me? He looks up at Magnus. “You-” He breathes. “I have been waiting for so long, you-” Any insult he had dies when he sees Magnus’ nervous grin grow relieved.

Lup lets out a scream that sounds like “Finally!” and sends an array of sparks into the air. Magnus rushes down to Taako, and they share their first kiss.

Together, they spend sixteen years in each others’ arms.

\---

They build a home together. They don’t literally build one, but they make this new world home. They only part to put away their relics and then they’re back together again. The two of them vow to find each other even when they’re torn apart.

Everything is peaceful for once in the past fifty years. They start aging again, and Magnus realizes what that means. But he pushes it aside and hopes for the best. And if Taako notices the one or two gray hairs, he says nothing.

\---

The Relic Wars break out.

\---

Taako forgets first. He’s out on the deck with Barry and before he knows it, Barry’s begging to die. Taako knows the feeling, because he can’t forget Magnus. He can’t. So he blasts Barry in the center of the chest and sends him over the railing. He wants Barry to stay alive so that he can remember...remember someone. Someone important, but all he can think of is a warm presence.

And as he falls to his knees to watch Barry plummet, he realizes he has no idea why he shot him. Then he forgets he shot him at all, and it’s all static.

Meanwhile, Magnus is pushing open the door to Lucretia’s cabin and she turns to look at Magnus in horror. Tears are in her eyes as she feeds Fisher another book. Magnus drops the duck. “Lucy, what are you doing?” 

He’s not entirely sure whose name he just said. He remembers Taako, and he hopes he’s safe. He needs to make sure that Taako’s safe, that--Wait. That who’s safe? Who was he supposed to remember?

“God, Magnus, you weren’t supposed to see this.” A woman whose name he can’t remember is coming towards him and she has his face in her hands now and Magnus still can’t remember who he’s supposed to be protecting right now. “I’m so sorry Magnus.”

He tries to pull away, but it’s so, so weak. “What did you do--what?” Why does he think she’s done anything? “I need to protect him,” he says, but he has no idea who he is. He’s drifting to his knees, and this woman is pulling him into her shoulder and sobbing. She’ll save them all, she promises. But he forgets that promise, too.

\---

Somehow, Taako feels familiar. Magnus can’t understand why. Every time he sees Taako, his heart fills with a warmth he hasn’t felt since the last time he held Julia, and it pains him. It’s familiar, and it feels like home. It feels like a promise.

Neither of them vocalize this, even when Merle is passed out beside a fire and the two of them are sitting beside each other in silence. Even when they’re on a crashing train or about to fall from the back of a battlewagon. Even when they reunite two lovers and pink petals flutter around them, and Magnus dusts one off of Taako’s brim.

Even when a crystal golem nearly kills them.

Even when they’re stuck in a time loop.

Even when June lands on a moment that he thinks is his biggest mistake and static voids out years of his life.

Definitely not when Taako realizes he just went on a date with the literal embodiment of death, or when Magnus realizes he kind of wishes he had come along.

Magnus goes silent during each one of those, no matter how much he wants to tell Taako about this strange and vague longing in his heart. He catches The Director glance between them more than once, always cautious to bring up their friendship. Maybe she knows, before Magnus does.

When the Voidfish shows him visions that fill with static, he feels the strange sort of longing. When he confides this to the Voidfish, it doesn’t show him a vision. All it can give him is the sound of a familiar laugh and some remark about being a dad.

\---

Even Wonderland can’t take away that feeling of longing. He’s swimming through the the ethereal plane and trying desperately to tear himself away from the rift leading to the choppy seas. 

And then Taako is stepping out of his own body and trying to all but sprint to Magnus. His hand wraps around Magnus’ outstretched arms, and he pulls. They crash into each other, chests pressed close and faces inches away. The scene around them is nearly still. They blink at each other. Then they both start drifting toward the rift. Kravitz’s hand shoots from the waves, and Taako lets out a silent scream. Magnus can’t help but feel a bit of that same fear despite how little he knows about Kravitz.

Merle’s hand reaches out and takes them both, and they’re alive once again.

\---

Magnus remembers. The pain disappears and he’s in Barry’s arms. Taako is rushing over to him and helping him inside as Barry closes the door. “I can stand, Taakles.” It’s a pet name that slips out without even thinking, but he regrets it when Taako freezes.

Reality comes crashing all at once. It’s been fifteen years. He had a wife. Taako is in a relationship. Everything is different now. He forgot Taako. He pushes himself up. Taako is frozen for just another moment before he points the Umbra Staff at Lucretia, and Magnus does the same with his Flaming Raging Poisoning Sword of Doom. “Ten,” Taako says. His voice cracks. “Nine.”

Lucretia puts her hands up. “Taako, I know you’re upset-”

“Eight.”

“Listen-”

“Seven.”

“Please listen to me, okay?” Tears brim at her eyes, and her own voice is cracking.

“Six.”

“Please stop--” Lucretia chokes on her words. “Okay, okay. Let me explain.”

Merle hops to stand on his chair. “What the hell are you two doing?” He yells to Magnus and Taako. “This isn’t how you two fought, and it sure isn’t now.”

“Five.”

Magnus ignores Merle. He tightens his grip on the sword. “The time to explain yourself was about-” He pretends to consider, and then sharpens his glare at her. “About a dozen memories ago.”

“You fucking took everything from me!” Taako shrieks, and he gestures to the Umbra Staff and Magnus. A collective realization sweeps through the room as they all remember where Taako got that umbrella. It shakes in his hand, and he retracts his hand. He falls and lands in his chair. “Fine. Do whatever.”

Lucretia sighs. “Taako, I’m sorry. I searched for her for years. But once we finish this, we can search for her again. I promise.”

Merle shakes his head. “The Hunger is already here. Your barrier won’t be able to keep them out,” he says. 

Barry steps forward. “Lucretia, you can’t do this. We already told you why. You have to stop this. I know what you did and I understand why you did it, but you can not continue. If for anyone, do it for Lup’s sake. Or Taako’s sake. Or literally anybody’s.”

“I don’t care,” Taako says from his chair. He’s gripping the handle of the Umbra Staff with white knuckles, and he doesn’t look up. “Do whatever you want. Honestly, I don’t care anymore.”

Lucretia is choking up again, and before she can even start to speak, Magnus cuts her off. “Lucretia, Taako just remembered he lost his sister. Barry almost forgot the love of his life. Davenport forgot everything. Everything, Lucretia. This isn’t the time to explain yourself.” He kneels down next to Taako. “Listen. I know this is hard, but you found her.” He wraps his hands around Taako’s, over the Umbra Staff. “She’s still helping you. You’re still working together, and I know she wouldn’t want you to give up.”

“Maggie.” Taako looks up to meet Magnus’ eyes. “I get it. And I appreciate what you’re trying to say. And I’m on board for whatever. But understand this: I have nothing now. I don’t have my sister, I don’t have my life, and I don’t have you. The world is ending, and I. Don’t. Care.”

\---

Lup returns in a literal blaze of glory, hood against her back. She looks terrifying and powerful, and flames are licking her skeletal palms. She lets out a moment of victorious laughter, and then turns to Taako. “You’re daing the Grim Reaper?” She screams. 

At the sound of her voice, Magnus turns. Barry is rushing over to her in relief and excitement and they have the reunion they’ve surely dreamed of for over a decade.

Taako and Magnus look at each other, and then they’re back to battle.

\---

Kravitz returns and sends out a legion to aid in their cause. Taako can’t wait to throw his arms around his boyfriend, but laughs when Kravitz insists on warming himself up. They share a kiss that doesn’t last nearly long enough. 

Lup only shares a few words with him before launching herself back into battle. “You know we’re gonna have to talk about the fact that your sister’s a lich, right?”

Taako grimaces. “I get the feeling there’s a lot we’re gonna parse through.”

\---

Magnus tries to pull Taako into the group hug. “Absolutely not.”

“Taako,” Magnus says in a light warning voice, “Come on.”

“Hell no. Don’t you try to manufacture my character growth,” Taako says with a glare, but it’s not threatening at all.

Magnus pulls his best pouty face. “Taakles,” he whines in a quiet voice. Lup snorts. Taako relents and wraps his arms around everyone he can without touching Lucretia.

It’s a nice scene, until they start fighting together once more.

\---

They beat the Hunger. They can’t believe they’ve done it for a solid minute, and then victory roars across the world deafen the members of the Bureau of Balance. Magnus hoists Angus on his shoulders and sees Taako laugh and make a comment. It’s definitely something about him being a dad.

He doesn’t think that’s so bad, after all.

\---

Kravitz parses through the information. When he sees Taako next, they end up sitting across from each other with tea untouched on the table between them. “I think I can strike a deal so that your sister and her husband can be reapers. That way, you’ll be able to see them still.”

Taako smiles in relief. “Thanks, babe.”

“I can’t in good conscience let you go fifteen years without remembering your sister and then take her away from you after a couple days.” He pauses. “As for somebody else that seemed fairly important to you…” He trails off.

“Right,” Taako says. He’s been thinking about Magnus almost non-stop since the battle ended. So he should have an answer by now, but- “I have no idea. For a year and a half, every time I saw him, I felt this longing and warmth and now that I know where it all comes from, I have no idea what I’m going to do.”

Kravitz gives a small and quiet smile. “Taako, it’s okay. You know what you want to do. And I’m okay with that. Taako, I know that you love me, and I know that you love him. And I want to make you happy.”

\---

Taako is standing on the edge of the Starblaster, which is parked atop the Bureau headquarters. Magnus is sitting beneath a tree, carving away at a small block of wood that’s just beginning to take shape. “Magnus!” Taako yells. “Come stand closer, I have something to tell you!”

Magnus steps out from his shade to look up at Taako. “Shouldn’t I just come up there or something?”

“No!” No more words. He’s too excited to do this. Taako throws a makeshift sack straight ahead of him and, just as it soars over Magnus, casts a spell on it. Confetti rains down around Magnus in a strangely familiar scene. He catches a piece of paper in his hand. On each piece, it says “Date me?” and in smaller letters beneath that, “(and also Kravitz).”

When Magnus looks back up, Taako is not alone. Kravitz is watching over Taako’s shoulder with fear in his eyes. Magnus barely takes a second to think about it. He grins and shouts an “Absolutely!” back up to them.

Off in the distance, Lup breathes a quiet “finally” from her seat.

\---

Magnus is worried about how Angus will take to having one dad, let alone three. But he can’t let this kid go unprotected anymore. He wants Angus to have a stable future after the turmoil of the apocalypse. 

His worries disappear within a day. Taako honestly seems more anxious, but soon their dynamic returns. Taako trains Angus as much as he can, as much as Angus wants to learn. Angus never stops learning. When he’s old enough and wise enough, he challenges Lup to a duel and wins. 

Kravitz isn’t there much, but when he is, he tells Angus everything. Angus is fascinated by the entire system he lives in, and he tries his best to make everything connect. Kravitz is more than willing to help.

When Angus is eighteen, Magnus still insists on a bedtime routine. It’s loose now. What used to be a bedtime story and a glass of hot milk is now stargazing and tea. Magnus tells Angus stories every night about each star, and Angus knows they’re all fake. But he doesn’t mind.

One night, Magnus tells Angus the full story of Fisher and Junior. “Does that make me a middle child?” Angus jokes, and Magnus breaks into a peal of laughter.

\---

When Magnus passes, it’s peaceful. His hair has grown white, and the humans around him have grown far older. He can’t believe they’ve come this far, but he’s so grateful that they have.

When Magnus passes, Kravitz is waiting for him. They kiss. Kravitz smiles. “I have a proposition for you,” he says. “I can’t put you back in your body. I don’t think you would want that anyway. Instead, I’ve made...a few preparations.”

He drifts, and the cottage appears. Two dogs come barrelling out of the front door and across the waters. Julia exits just a moment after. And they run towards each other. Magnus picks Julia up and spins her in his arms, and when he sets her down she has to catch her breath. “You’re dating the Grim Reaper,” she breathes in disbelief. “Kravitz told me so much about what you did. You sure kept me waiting.”

“I tried to make you proud,” Magnus says. He wipes a tear from his own eyes. “I really did, Jules.”

“From what I’ve heard, you did.”

\---

When Magnus passes, he becomes a reaper. He spends lost time with Julia, as much as he can. He tells her stories of battles, and of the Hunger. He tells her everything he didn’t know before, because there’s so much to tell.

She never met Fisher or Junior or Angus when she was alive, but he tells her about them now. He tells her how he accidentally adopted two magic jellyfish and intentionally adopted the world’s greatest detective. Julia gives him stories to tell. Even as Angus grows older, he tells them as they lay beneath the stars with tea.

At the end of each day, Taako is waiting for him and Kravitz beneath a magically heating blanket. The days don’t get any easier, but love surrounds him and binds him. And finally, he feels whole again.

**Author's Note:**

> Ya boi just finished the Balance arc about two days ago and immediately realized he had twenty thousand ships, so here we are! Did I hyperfixate on this? Absolutely!
> 
> Questions? Comments? Requests? Find me on Tumblr at littlelionkai <3


End file.
